The World Health Organisation (WHO) has found that Egypt has the highest level of the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the world, with around 22% of Egyptian blood donors testing positive for the deadly disease. It has the higest rate of infection anywhere in the world with 150,000 new infections every year.

Professor Mark Thursz

Mark Thursz is professor of hepatology at Imperial College and consultant in hepatology at St Mary's Hospital, London. His clinical interests are in viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease and fatty liver disease. He is currently interested in developing programmes for treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection in resource poor settings to reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. For a full biography – see here